MUMBAI: MTV has launched the "Rock Band" video game in the US on Tuesday, a new entrant in the fast-growing genre of musical games that could boost the fortunes of the flagging music industry.

More a rock band simulator than a game, the title takes on the hit "Guitar Hero" series that has sold millions and become a cash cow for publisher Activision Inc, says a Reuters report.

The "Rock Band" bundle includes the game software and controllers shaped like a guitar, drum set and microphone and cost $170.

"Rock Band" is the headline act in Viacom unit MTV`s plan to spend more than $500 million on games over the next two years as it expands beyond its traditional TV base and has been developed by Harmonix, a Boston-based game studio started by MIT students.

In "Rock Band," four people can play together on guitar, bass, drums and vocals. Players hit buttons on the guitar or tap drums in sync with notes on-screen. Players can also sing along, karaoke-style. If notes are hit accurately, the song plays properly and the band earns points.

Analysts aver that "Rock Band" may change the way people enjoy music. New songs will be available for download every week, with players able to tailor their game to their favorite genres or bands.

MTV, says the report, is working with labels to release playable versions of new tunes alongside their debuts in established formats and aspires to build an iTunes for games."We`ve moved from initial rounds of discussions with the labels to talking about how we can harness this platform to break new artists and to introduce new music from established artists,"

Paul DeGooyer, vice president of MTV Games, said in an interview.This year, the game is only available in $170 bundles that are nearly twice as expensive as "Guitar Hero." Individual instruments won`t be offered until next year.

MTV says it would ship more than a million units this year, but "Guitar Hero 3" sold 1.4 million units in its first six days on the market and is enjoying wider brand recognition.Moreover, "Rock Band" is only available now for Microsoft`s Xbox 360 and Sony`s PlayStation 3 consoles but there is no release date yet for Nintendo`s Wii, which has been the best-selling game console in 2007, according to Reuters.